A fine balance has to be struck when it comes to looking after green spaces alongside Dorset's roads.

Roadside verges start to go wild in the summer and Dorset Council says it wants to encourage growing to help wildlife but it also must keep roads safe.

Letting the verges grow helps bees and butterflies and also saves money.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and the Environment, said: “Our primary duty with regards to roadside verges is one of safety, which we take very seriously. But, we, like many residents can see the benefit of letting the verges grow, where possible. Through our Pollinator Action Plan, we want to actively encourage more bees, butterflies and moths to thrive in Dorset. Our Action Plan also enables us to make significant savings – we save around £93,000 a year by only cutting rural road verges when needed.

“We also no longer use topsoil when creating new road verges, as the subsoil results in wildflower rich grass which is of greater use to pollinators and costs less to manage. On the Weymouth Relief Road, for example, this method resulted in savings of £2,200 per year in management costs."